The Detroit Lions have waived WR Derrick Williams, who struggled to find a role in two seasons with the team. He started training camp strong, but two drops in the first preseason game seemed to hurt his confidence.

Detroit Lions WR Derrick Williams is on the bubble to make the team this year. The Lions hoped he would develop into a dynamic special teams player, but he has not lived up to expectations and may now be a long-shot to make the roster with the addition of special teams ace Rashied Davis. Davis is also likely to take over as the No. 4 receiver, which is where Williams was previously slated.

Detroit Lions WR Derrick Williams has looked better during training camp fielding kicks, catching passes and showing his speed, reports Tom Kowalski, of MLive.com. Williams said he still makes mistakes from time to time, but he feels more comfortable on the field. With the team's top three receiver spots locked up, Williams has a chance to stick with one of the other two spots, as value on special teams will go a long way in locking up a roster spot.

Nicholas J. Cotsonika, of the Detroit Free Press, reports Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said he anticipated rookie WR Derrick Williams would struggle as a wide receiver. Mayhew added, "If you go back and look at him at Penn State, he was in the wildcat (formation). He was a gadget type of guy. He was not a receiver that ran the full route tree." However, Mayhew did not anticipate Williams would "struggle as a returner, especially in terms of catching the ball. You saw some of that on film, but a lot of times, (the game) was outside. It was at Penn State on punts. I thought he would do a better job catching punts for us."

Nicholas J. Cotsonika, of the Detroit Free Press, reports Detroit Lions RB Aaron Brown was benched during the team's Week 14 game after a mistake on a kickoff return. Brown fielded a bouncing ball at the Lions' one-yard line, with the sideline to his left and the goal line behind him. He was tackled at the four-yard line. Head coach Jim Schwartz said Brown could have established himself out of bounds and then touched the ball, making the ball out of bounds and giving the Lions possession at the 40-yard line. He also could have let the ball go. If the ball went out of bounds on the sideline, the Lions would have had it at the 40. If the ball went into the end zone, it could have been a touchback. WR Derrick Williams has taken over the team's kick returner role.

Tom Kowalski, of Mlive.com, reports Detroit Lions WR Derrick Williams likely won't see much action during the team's Week 1 game. Williams has not nailed down either the punt or kickoff return jobs, and he is listed as the No. 4 wide receiver on the depth chart.

John Niyo, of The Detroit News, reports Detroit Lions WR Derrick Williams is being counted on to add another vertical threat to their offense. He flopped as a potential special teams return man during the preseason, but he was able to make plays at the receiver position.

Detroit Lions rookie WR Derrick Williams caught two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown during the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 15, against the Atlanta Falcons. Rookie RB Aaron Brown also stood out, rushing six times for 47 yards and a touchdown, while chipping in two receptions for 51 yards and another score.

Tom Kowalski, of Mlive.com, reports the Detroit Lions envision WR Derrick D. Williams (hamstring) as strictly a return specialist this season. However, the team is hoping that eventually they can move Williams around the field, from receiver to the slot and also coming out of the backfield. Williams could also play in some Wildcat formations because he has some quarterback in his background.

Tom Kowalski, of MLive.com, reports Detroit Lions WR Derrick D. Williams (hamstring) did not participate in morning practice Wednesday, June 24, and may miss the remainder of the team's minicamp, according to head coach Jim Schwartz.